Despite advancements in the so-called Western societies, people tend to think that torture has been eradicated, but it is still practiced in more than 140 countries. At the same time, human rights violations have been recorded and are being investigated in 160 places in the world.

On the occasion of the Refugee Week Greece Festival and the International Day in Support for Victims of Torture, which is commemorated today, June 26, METAdrasi participated in a joint initiative of Civil Society actors and representatives of the academic community with the screening of the documentary “Voices in the Shadows“.

The event “Re-claiming My Body, Re-building My Home: Moving on from Violence and Torture,” aimed to raise awareness about the harsh realities of forced displacement,  when people endure torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment before or during their migratory journey.

Through the screening of documentaries and the discussions that followed, the attendees heard testimonies from refugees-victims of torture, underscored by the insights from experts on the medical and psychosocial impacts of these experiences later in life.

The event also highlighted the significance of identifying and certifying torture victims, a programme which METAdrasi developed for over a decade, facilitating the process of providing international protection to asylum seekers in Greece.

The event was co-organized by the MSc programme “Global Health – Disaster Medicine” of the School of Medicine of the University of Athens, the Babel Day Centre “Syn-eirmos”, METAdrasi, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Greek Council for Refugees, with the participation from Hidden Goddess.